Rafuchakkar
Introduction
It is a Thursday and the new releases have started pouring in. With that, I finished watching the new Hindi series Rafuchakkar which is now streaming on Jio Cinema. In my review of UP65, I had mentioned on how Jio Cinema has to revise their strategy of releasing their show in bits and parts. This is particularly true for thrillers that need to build on the momentum and the characters to fuel the narrative. And if the episodes are being released daily then it will more often that not hamper with the show. And keeping this in mind, I only started watching Rafuchakkar from last night once all episodes were out. This is because I wanted to give the show a fair chance with respect to the content that it had to offer. I was also particularly excited to watch Maniesh Paul in a character which is a far cry from the comic avatars that he has been donning over a period of time. So then does Rafuchakkar manage to impress, lets find out.
Story & Screenplay
Rafuchakkar follows the story of a con artist being arrested for the crimes that he has committed. But there is more than what meets the eye. The story here is convoluted to a point where you might find it hard to keep track of the proceedings. But if you manage to sit through it, there are rewards to be had at the end. And this is what I was referring to when I said that all episodes of a series need to be released in a single go. The start of the show is simplistic which might force a reviewer to take down the show. But patience and perseverance would help you reap rewards. The screenplay standing at 9 episodes of roughly 30 odd minutes each moves at a break neck pace with multiple non-linear threads in play that requires focus and patience to sit through it. But the end result is indeed a good one!
The drama does open on an ordinary note(deliberately done in hindsight) with the quick arrest of the protagonist who is perceived to be a conman. I was kind of baffled at the start as it did not provide me any information about the protagonist or the baggage that he is carrying. It is only through a series of flashbacks that you come to know that he might be a conman after a string of people show up, whom he may have looted. And thus, I felt that one episode would be dedicated to one crime in the flashback. But that wasn’t quite the case as the drama starts getting convoluted after the third episode. With multiple threads opened up from the past in a drama which is jumping timelines every 15-20 minutes(at times even 5 minutes), I needed to be on my toes to keep pace with the proceedings.
The proceedings are engrossing and extremely fast paced so much so that it might leave you scratching your head at times. The answers to the questions aren’t clear and it does take time to unravel the mystery. So if you are expecting fast solutions then you may end up being disappointed. But if patience is your virtue, the entire picture would be crystal clear by the end. Having said that, I did feel that at times the jumping timelines were a bit of a put off and slightly distracting at times. By this I mean that, you aren’t quite emotionally invested in the characters at any given point of time. So there is a clear trade-off between the pace of the show with the emotional quotient. Also, I did feel that some loose ends were left hanging by the end of it.
The mystery starts getting slightly more clear in the final act wherein the writers begin to integrate a relevant issue(cannot reveal its type here to avoid any spoilers). But I quite liked the way the events were linked(even though it was slightly manipulative). Even the courtroom scenes were engrossing right throughout and had me glued to my screen. The layered approach even in the final act was impressive. The multiple twists and turns right upto the very last minute are pretty good and it made for a compelling watch. Overall, the screenplay was packaged smartly and it made for a pulsating watch!
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are decently well and make for a decent impact. The BGM is adequate too, in some portions slightly cliched and stereotypical. Both these aspects could have been better to further enhance the drama. The cinematography is pretty good. The editing was important when the approach was for the drama to jump timelines. I wouldn’t say it was pitch perfect and definitely should have been smoother with its transitions but it was still a commendable effort given that this was a large jigsaw puzzle to execute. Director Ritam Srivastav does an impressive job with this convoluted drama. It was easy for him to get entangled himself with the events, yet there was control in the proceedings that made for a solid watch overall.
Performances
The performances are pretty good. Chahat Vig as Preeti and Bhawsheel Sahni as Harpreet manage to shine. Trupti Khamkar as Dimple was a delight to watch wherein she was in wonderful control of her character without trying to explore a prevalent humourous streak. Shirin Sewami as Noopur does a swell job as well in a nicely performed role. Lekha Prajapati as Vineeta looks pretty and has a good screen presence in a job well done. Aakash Dahiya as Jaidev is first rate and does quite a good job. Vikram Kochhar as Ashfaq is excellent in his role despite a limited screen time. By now you all know that I am a big Sushant Singh fan. And he is excellent as Sarvesh, mixing style with intimidation wonderfully well.
Aksha Pardasany as Shaurya is fabulous to watch and loved the way she carried herself in the series. She was assertive with her body language and that did propel her character to the next level. Priya Bapat as Ritu is such a wonderful actor to watch and she is outstanding in every sense of the word. She is brilliant in the courtroom sequences and quite dignified in her performance. Maniesh Paul as Pawan is such a revelation in a character which is a far cry from his comic roles. A timely reminder to all filmmakers to give actors like Maniesh a chance without labelling him in any category. It was a cerebral character and performed meticulously by Maniesh who is in fine form here. His towering presence was a good add-on too!
Conclusion
The first season of Rafuchakkar is a convoluted but an uncannily intelligent thriller with good performances that makes for a pulsating watch. Available on Jio Cinema.